You Can Fool All Of The People, All Of The Time

I never thought this would be possible, but over the past few weeks, my cynicism has hit new highs! I have been observing the circus around us, and all I have to show for it is an increasing sense of dismay and dread.

For starters, here’s another brilliant example of Indian lawmaking: under-trials in India can’t vote. But what utterly confounds me is the fact that while an under-trial can’t vote, he sure as hell can contest elections and even become a minister. Go figure.

What about the fact that all candidates, across all parties, seem to be millionaires and billionaires? Some inherited their wealth. Some are self-made businesspersons and professionals. And then there is the vast majority whose net worth runs into many hundreds of millions, and no one has a clue about where this money came from. It’s such a cliché, this “impoverished-nation-rich-politicians” bit, but it seems to be the hallmark of Indian politics today. There can only be two explanations. Either only the rich become politicians, or all politicians become rich. Neither answer bodes well for the sham we’ve got going.

Then there’re these amazing news-blackouts that happen. Varun Gandhi is hauled over the coals, but Srinivas and Laloo’s peccadilloes are looked upon way more indulgently. The amount of coverage given to Modi in connection with the Gujarat riots is phenomenal. We are united in condemning, over and over, his acts of villainy and the many acts of commission and omission that followed. But when it comes to news reports that Teesta Setalvad coached, tutored and made witnesses lie in the Gujarat riots case, cooking up macabre incidents and concocting crimes that apparently never happened, the sense of national outrage is missing. The talking heads on TV maintain a studied silence, as do the pundits of print. And I fail to see any outpourings of rage in the many blogs that are so quick to judge, condemn and crucify otherwise. (Update: The CJP has questioned the veracity of the report, the TOI journalist stands by his story, and the SIT chief refuses to comment on whether the ‘leaked’ reports were true or not. We’re still no closer to the truth.)

Comparisons may be odious. But one can’t help recall how the US navy’s snipers kicked Somalian butt and rescued the Merchant Navy Captain held hostage. Would we ever have had the courage to do something like that? Will we ever be respected as a nation, forget feared?

When Harbhajan and Dhoni skipped the Padma Shri awards, our Impartial-Election-Commissioner-turned-Sports-Minister started foaming at the mouth. But some idiot has actually filed a lawsuit against the duo, alleging hurt and defamation. Hundreds of other issues to choose from, but this moron was offended because two cricketers found the opportunity cost of attending an award ceremony too high. Clearly, unemployment is a serious problem.

The first phase of polling saw a voter turnout of 54%. That’s it. Just 54%. Good going, India. And most of them would, predictably, have voted based on caste, language and religion. Everyone forgot the famines, the hunger, the suicides, the malnutrition, the desperate and unhealthy squalor that so many of our fellow citizens live in. Development, the criminalisation of politics, security and safety weren’t concerns. All that mattered was the surname and caste-certificate of the candidate. Was he one of us, or an outsider? Well done, people! That should see us change. That should ensure we prosper. Go India Go!

Did I forget to mention that I find it funny that most political parties in India are run like fiefdoms? They are autocratic – either autocratic-dynastic (most of the parties – Congress, DMK, NCP, NC, SP, SS etc), or first-generation autocratic (BSP, AIADMK). There is no such thing as intra-party democracy. Tell me, how can we trust any of these people to safeguard the country’s democratic institutions and systems when they clearly don’t believe in democracy in the first place?

To sum up, is there anything to smile about? There are criminals and law-breakers who will represent us and make laws. The increasing evidence of the unaccountable and immense wealth of candidates points to a rotten and hollow political system. Laws are modified and conventions broken to ensure politicians, as a class, proper and survive at our expense. With each passing session, individual freedoms and liberties are curtailed. The law and the police seem to have become instruments of oppression, used to subjugate the citizen. We naively join the happy chorus of the “we-are-a-democracy-and-an-emerging-superpower” song, forgetting that while the political parties themselves don’t practise democracy, when we deign to vote, we do so based on issues of caste, language and religion. We deserve each other.

A few years ago, I had taken a guided tour of the Louvre. The guide stopped in front of Delacroix’s “Liberty Leading the People”. As she explained the significance of the painting to us, one sentence really hit home. Pointing to the dead bodies Liberty was marching on, she said “Delacroix painted those to remind us that liberty does not come free. You have to fight to obtain freedom, and fight to preserve it. And perhaps die for it”.

Are we taking too much for granted? Is that why we, the people, are systematically squandering the most valuable thing we have as a nation – constitutional democracy? Is that what will finally hasten our transition into a failed state?

All we Indians have achieved as a nation is to prove to the world, that yes, you can fool all of the people, all of the time.

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39 Responses to “You Can Fool All Of The People, All Of The Time”

Oh heyy! I disagree at certain points. I am glad that people who have money are becoming politicians. If a guy has failed to look after himself and his family, how the hell will he look after a nation?

QI, Agree with everything you say!
‘But what utterly confounds me is the fact that while an under-trial can’t vote, he sure as hell can contest elections and even become a minister’ – its become a total joke.. just shows how skewed the system is..

As for Teesta Setalvad – I actually did not even come across this – just goes to show how the mainstream media selectively highlights or downplays events!

Millionares in the fray , just go on to show that ultimately money and power is what speaks in elections… Sad indeed!

Hey Phoenix, becoming rich is OK but becoming rich illegally is unacceptable. N dont even talk about journalism. It has redefined the word ‘nadir’ in India. Also, there is no point talking about ‘secularism’. ‘Secularism’ in this country is a much more dangerous weapon that the atom bomb.With the Taliban at our doorsteps, it wont take long before we see the casualties due to ‘secularism’.

I agree with you…I think Wall Street should employ Indian politicians as investment advisors…While most people’s net worth has decreased, our politicians’ net worths have increased…Advani has managed to double his assets…

Bravo ! I bow before thee in reverence , O Quirky . You said everything I had to say . The blogosphere is abuzz with condemnation of Varun Gandhi , BJP and Narendra Modi , but most of them forget about the Laloo’s and Setalvad’s . That makes me sick . Why don’t people call a spade, a spade ? Says a lot about the people who try their best to be secular and objective . Brilliant post . And the title reminded me of a post I wrote a while ago . We, the foolish . Did you read it ?

Great post, QI. As someone who used to go by the moniker “supercynic,” allow me to say, “I hear you.”

Yes, it’s a screwed up system. Yes, it’s ridiculous. Yes, it only takes a modicum of intelligence to see the farce that politics is. And, yes, it’s frustrating that a modicum is still too much to ask for.

However, you are not alone in your despair. While I know that you think India takes the farce to ridiculous extremes, I promise you the farce is a human, and not Indian, condition.

Just look at my country — the U.S. We have achieved wonders certainly in spite of ourselves not because of ourselves. As has India.

Not long ago, I wrote a similar post to yours about how our Congress was investigating steroid use by baseball players. That’s right. With all that’s going wrong in the world, our elected representatives wanted to make sure that people who throw and hit baseballs weren’t injecting steroids into their veins. The post is here. If you read it, you’ll see the same frustrations that you’ve expressed in this post.

I totally agree with your post On all points. The way things are happening it is becoming frustrating…with SP’s manifesto things got murkier…Computer & English education being bad for society. WTH!!!!

Media has always been biased no 2 thoughts on that. Definition of secularism changes with time n which political party is talking about it.

As have alwats said we are a bunch of hypocrites, we know how to critcise, we know hoe to talk and beyond that we only know how to go back home and watch TV.

BTW u shud read this weeks edition of India Today. There is a report which has listed the assets of sitting MPs. Their worth when they 1st time contested to the present day. And u know there are candidates whose worth has increased by a whopping 400%

You are right when you say that we deserve the politicians we get a la Kubrick’s “The audience deserve what they get to see” comment. And yes, each of us have more reason for cynicism with every passing day. That’s the state of the nation.

About the political parties turning into fiefdoms of their respective “first families” I think the Congress showed us the way in this regard. Only the Left remains immune to this disease till date.

Regarding the underplaying of the Seetalvad incident I think it is fast becoming fashionable for the urban educated to wear his secularism on his sleeves and latch onto every opportunity to condemn the “horrific acts of barbarism” committed on the minorities in Gujarat. How much of it comes out of genuine concern and how much of it is mere posturing is anyone’s guess.

Seriously frustrating QI! I mean, all that you have mentioned and a lot more… Everything is so damn sickening. We can only hope or pray for a better future with a situation like this coz. we definitely can’t do much.

Though am a great believer in democracy, i hardly have any respect for the heard of cattle that make up what is called the voters. I hate the word ‘janta janardhan’. The janata in India is an a$$. A bunch of idiots who have much time running after a boy and girl holding hands than rescuing a dalit woman who is being beaten up and paraded naked thru the city.

Actually you will find 54% is a lot more than the % that turn up to vote in western democracies too (I think the recent US election might have been an exception). Which shows that comfortable people also do not vote. In other words, at some level, homo economicus is alive and kicking either his heels or someone else.

As for the rest, I am afraid few amongst the Indian youth are interested in politics except talking about it. What’s the point at which young people say, en masse, ok, we will make the change?

Besides, please check out this link. It’s a response to the TOI article on Teesta Setalvad that you have cited. I am still not sure who is on the right. But most pieces on the Net on the issue take off from the TOI article you cited and there seems to be reasonable doubt about it?
Of course this does not add or subtract from your basic point, but still…
Prasanth

In all fairness, I should also post the TOI journalist’s response to the article by the CJP. The picture still remains murky and I am still undecided but the case is definitely not as black and white as initially reported.
Prasanth

@Ritu: Being rich and/or successful is not the problem. It is the manner, speed and seemingly “miraculous” rags-to-riches stories of all candidates that is the problem. And, for the sake of argument, a middle-class, or upper middle-class person also takes care of her family. What is striking is the sheer number of candidates in the “super-rich” category. As Deepansh and Smita point out, wouldn’t you like to know how all of them managed to amass such wealth so soon? I know I would. :-)

@Smitha: Thanks. It is very depressing, and, frankly, I’m not sure if things will ever change.

@Deepansh: Exactly. Welcome and thanks for the comment.

@Bones: Ha ha….the best investment advisers in the world…. :-)

@Kislay: Thank you….I would strongly discourage you and OG from erecting my statues or hanging my picture on your walls though. ;-) I am surprised I missed that post of yours….but better late than never. Well said.

@SC: Thanks. Read that post of yours. Amazing. You’re right, it is a human condition. My argument always has been that it’s worse in India because we seem to have leapfrogged the good parts and come straight to the bad! A classic case of the “grass is greener…” syndrome?

@Smita: I would have liked to read that long comment!
Let’s not even start with the SP. And thanks for the information on the India Today article. The source of this wealth is so obvious….yet it doesn’t seem to bother us. As long as we can go back and catch our favourite saas-bahu sob story. Nothing else matters.

@Solilo: It’s frustrating, it’s depressing. All one can do is rant. Vote, and hopefully, convince others to see your point of view. Do we need another MK Gandhi?

@Caesar: You’re right, the Left is the only bunch that is out of this dynastic shit….but they’re fairly autocratic as well. (Give us your land for the factory or our boys will take care of you!). As for the “secularism”, a lot of it is posturing, without any understanding of the issues involved.

@Rakesh: Yes, my friend, it is frustrating, especially because you know you can’t do much.

@Sujata: Welcome and thanks for the comment.

@Vishesh: Ranting is a non-violent outlet for frustration! Don’t knock it, it has its uses! :-)

@Peter: Welcome and thanks for the comment. A very accurate analysis and I can’t really dispute your conclusions. There is some hope from the higher judiciary, but I’m not sure how long they’ll be able to stem the rot.

@Happy Kitten: Yes, politicians will have the last laugh. As for the cooked-up stories – those particular incidents may have been concocted, but believe me, we are capable of all that and more. We are Indians.

@Liju: Well put. Morons is a very accurate description. What else can you call people who get taken by the same scam, year after year, for 60 years?

@Shefaly: There are actually mixed numbers for the western democracies….there are some that continue to see a high (albeit declining) turnout. For instance, Australia and Belgium, both in the early-to-mid 90% range. France and Italy, both in the early-to-mid 80% range. Then there is the UK, in the high 50s, and Switzerland in the mid 40s. So it’s a mixed bag.

Somewhere we all knew this would happen. But after a couple of bad years, in terms of citizens’ safety & security and a weakening economy, and with our sense of outrage having reached a climax after 26/11, I expected better. I feared the worst, but I naively expected better! Indifference seems to have won the day. Both kinds of indifference: of the pretty people for whom such proletarian pursuits are distasteful, and of the great unwashed, for whom the struggle to eke out a marginal living continues, regardless of who comes or goes.

@Prasanth: Actually, it’s not so problematic. Torture is torture and is wrong. Look at it this way: even if you claim to be at war, and so can legitimately shoot the enemy in an encounter (like they did with the Somalians), if the enemy surrenders or is captured, he has rights. Torture is definitely out. Bush screwed up. But the US Navy under Obama didn’t. The snipers sent a loud and clear message.

And thanks for the link. I had seen the response of the CJP, though not the TOI’s reply to that. The reason I brought this matter up is simple: the media, and people like us, have only opinions. We are neither in a position to know the truth, nor is it our job to judge and decide guilt. But what happened is that any ‘news’ that painted Gujarat and Modi in a bad light was gleefully and promptly reported as the ‘only truth’ by the media, by bloggers and by the “Twitterers”. They did not report impartially, but judged and pronounced guilt. It was as if there was no other version. Now there is another version. As you point out, we still don’t know the truth. But shouldn’t this version have got the same media exposure? Don’t they have a duty to report on all aspects? Don’t we have the right to listen to other points of view? Where are all the people who raved and ranted then? This shameful bias and skulduggery is what I have a problem with. And, as I have always said, such inconsistent and partisan stands do more harm than good.

[…] Quirky Indian says But when it comes to news reports that Teesta Setalvad coached, tutored and made witnesses lie in the Gujarat riots case, cooking up macabre incidents and concocting crimes that apparently never happened, the sense of national outrage is missing. The talking heads on TV maintain a studied silence, as do the pundits of print. And I fail to see any outpourings of rage in the many blogs that are so quick to condemn, judge and crucify otherwise. […]

I want to understand the basic criteria to become a politician/senate member or whatever outside India (in few of those countries). Cuz here it is like, I am convicted so my wife can surely come to take my seat out of blue. I have been winning from this particular constituency, so any of my relative from next generation (even if she/he is criminal) can stand for election after I give up.

Don’t be so morose Q! You need to see some T-mobile dance ads on youtube, or perhaps, some Susan Boyle, and you’ll find the world’s a brighter place :) with childlike wonder and a desire to be heart-warmed lurking amongst all of us, even Simon Scowl!

Also, though MSM sucks, the Tessta story (if accurate) broke out on ToI, the MSMest of the lot… (no, i don’t mean to underplay the ramifications of that story, wrote about it here)

And while 54% sounds not good enough (it isn’t) – it tells you that 1 of 2 people in India have a glimmer/inkling/hope that they can change the world… is that so bad? (and we certainly beat many developed countries with that percentage)

I have been reading conflicting reports, rebuttals of news that may or may not be true, and have come to the conclusion that most of have closed minds, we believe what we want to believe, and then start looking for news sources that tell us what we want to hear.

Media had the power to make Lalu look good, they can if they choose show us how computers are not good for development, I met an SP supporter who first argued against computers and when he felt computers were not such villains, he decided Mulayam Singh had been misquoted. :(

* The Special Investigation Team (SIT) … on Tuesday slammed reports that riots witnesses were tutored to give false evidence for exaggeration of the situation, by activists and organisations helping the victims.

* [T]he Supreme Court termed the leak as a “betrayal of the faith reposed in those to whom the report was allowed access”.

@Vee: That’s our democracy. A constituency is the politician’s personal property; he can do whatever he likes with it. :-)

@Anuja: So true…I need some serious cheering-up.:-)Thanks for the mention, though. As events unfold, the truth seems as distant as it was. Time will tell! As for the 54%, I think it’s a classic case of the “half empty-half full” syndrome. You think they voted for change, I think they voted on the basis of accidents of birth!

@IHM: You’re right. But it doesn’t help if the media also adopts a “closed mind attitude” by refusing to understand that every issue has at least two sides. Presenting and harping on only one version does not serve the cause of truth. Neither do inconsistent standards.

@Dilip: Thank you for the links. I read that article earlier this morning, and unfortunately there was no clear-cut rebuttal from any specific individual (other than anonymous sources); Raghavan refused to comment on the veracity or otherwise of the ‘leaked’ contents. The Supreme Court has termed the act of leaking the report ‘a breach of faith’, and has understandably not commented on the veracity of the report either. Which is what I added when I updated my post this morning – that we’re still not anywhere close to the truth.

It is not anyone’s case that one version should be accepted as the absolute truth. The full truth will only be revealed as the legal proceedings near their logical conclusion. We don’t know that conclusion, though we can hazard a fairly accurate guess. As regards this case, it is entirely possible that Mahapatra fabricated the story. It is also equally possible that the affidavits were false and the witnesses were tutored. And that was the point of my post – that personal opinions aside, it is not the job of the media to decide and pronounce guilt. There are always versions of the truth…the courts decide which one is good in law. The courts. Not us, and not the media. The media should report all versions of the “truth”….ideally, in equal measure.

“As regards this case, it is entirely possible that Mahapatra fabricated the story”

One does not see any reason for the reporter to fabricate this story. Considering that TOI is a reputed newspaper and risks being sued for libel if it planted false reports and considering that this involves a prominent “secularist”, this particular report by the reporter would have passed through multiple layers of verification before appearing in print.

Further, one must uniformly apply yardsticks- if we were to assume that this story was fabricated, it is equally possible that Teesta and fellow so-called secularists also fabricated stories about the Gujarat riots. Mr Dilip should in such a case view both sides of the story with scepticism, instead of pasting the same links and content in multiple blogs which to me is indicative of propoganda.

I hear you on this QI. It shames me sometimes to see the hypocrisy going around. Some time back you wrote about how you have no doubt that India is going to become a banana republic, and i was a bit more optimistic. But these days that optimism is fading away gradually.

One saying that comes to the mind is that India works despite the system, not because of it.

We Indians are a smart lot, and figure out ways around any hurdles in the path of progress that the politicians/media may throw at us.

The only question is how long can we continue to defy this horrid system that wants to suck out any semblance of order and hope from our lives?

Quirky it seemed you fell into a trap by posting on a planted pro-Modi news in TOI which was obviously aimed at elections in Gujarat and Maharashtra.Such news plants are very common just before elections and all Parties do it.Please take care before posting.Yes we all have our biases but we do not want to be microphones for Political Parties right?

You must now have the answer why other mass media except TOI reporter did not give much publicity to this story.They did not publish it because it was a planted news.
Now some explanations.
Reading the TOI report which said “the SIT led by former CBI Director RK Raghavan told the Supreme Court on Monday that [Teesta Setalvad] exaggerated macabre tales of wanton killings.” gives the impression that Raghavan himself was in Court on Monday to say this.Yet nobody from the SIT, certainly not Raghavan, was at the SC on April 13 to tell the SC anything.The SIT submitted a report to the SC in March 2007, whose contents are not public.
The Gujarat government produced its own comment on the SIT report, and this is what Rohatgi tried to read out in Court on April 13.The mischievious Mahapatra’s report on TOI was actually about what Gujarat Government’s response to SIT report.Thats why the denials came.
Here is the link for the Citizens of Justice and Peace denial http://communalism.blogspot.com/2009/04/cpj-rebuttal-on-media-reports-alleging.html
Why TOI published it? Correct me if I am wrong but i believe the Tatas have much influnce on TOI. So this must be ‘thank you’ note from Ratan Tata for giving land for NANO project at throw away price.
I still cannot understand how you equate the first hate-speech from Varun with the hate-speech replies from Lalu and Srinivas.I feel the election commission’s unanimous decisions on the hate speeches are correct.You will understand it if you go through the speeches in full.

Let me correct myself.The SIT report was submitted to the Supreme Court on March 2, 2009.
The best way out is for the Supreme Court to publish the SIT report.Supreme Court should also analyse it and come to a conclusion.Let us wait for that.
But one thing is certain.The distorted version of what happened in Supreme Court on April 13 published by TOI is just for catching votes for the BJP.

QI and Liju Philip, if indeed most Indian voters were the cattle you think they are, why then did they vote overwhelmingly against oppression in 1977 and throw a psuedo-dictator out of power ?

Why did so-called cattle like Indians not vote for caste/religion based parties until the late 90s ?

Why do the so called cattle kick out more incumbents than any electorate anywhere ?

The reason is that the elite-dominated power structures of Indian society and polity did not accomodate their aspirations. The average Indian is quite rational with his/her vote, its just that he/she doesnt have many good choices. Now it will be interesting to see if Indian democracy can indeed equalize Indian society or whether it will gradually descend into despotism.

@Anon: Thanks for the comment. Let’s wait for the truth, whenever it is out….the facts are not clear right now.

@Amreekandesi: Not for very long, I’m afraid…

@Charakan: That is the best option…let’s wait for the Court to decide. Which was my point to begin with. By the way, have you noticed that when the NSA was applied, not one journalist said it was wrong – but now that the Advisory Board has ruled that it was wrong, all journalists, including Prannoy, have suddenly decided Mayawati’s act was, in fact, a gross misuse of a draconian law!

@Vikram: I hear you, but as you may have noticed, all your examples are over a decade old. We all may wish and hope that such decisive voting, not only against oppression and pseudo-dictatorship, but also for progress and development, happens again. I will be delighted if the Indian voters demonstrate that they are not part of a herd, that they are not cattle. But until they do that, all evidence points to the fact that they are, in fact, cattle. As you say, it will be interesting to see what they do this time.

Did Teesta tutor the witnesses or not??
Not sure, send me a link-i would like to read more about it.
But yes, you are right, most of the times we have been befooled. Somehow this lok sabha might be a little different? Or am i just hoping against hope?